Editor's Corner

I was just looking for something in the dictionary, and I got sidetracked. (I know, usually we go there for words, but sometimes a lizard runs by on my fence and I lose my train of thought.) Today I spotted an article called ‘Ganef,’ ‘Galoot,’ and More Historical Slang Terms We Love. Ive heard galoot, but I had to find out what else Merriam-Webster picked out for us to read. Here are some of the words and definitions, but if you want more, feel free to check out the website.

ganef noun : thief, rascal

Ganefalso styled as gonif and goniffhas been in use in English since the late 1830s. It’s a Yiddish borrowing, and originally comes from the Hebrew word gannh, meaning "thief." It may be applied to thieves of any kind.

galoot noun : a man or boy; especially : one who is foolish or awkward

nerts noun plural : nonsense, nuts often used interjectionally

Nerts was especially useful in the late 1920s when you presumably couldn’t say "Nuts!" without shocking and offending, but now the latter sounds quaint and the former positively obsolete. Don’t let this stop you from assisting in its revival.

Holy Joe noun : parson, chaplain

Holy Joe was originally a term used by 19th century sailors to refer to those who ventured to the seas to minister to the saltier souls in need of salvation. It also referred to prison chaplains before expanding to refer more generally to any parson or chaplain.

roscoe noun : handgun

If the roscoe that refers to a handgun owes its existence to a particular Roscoe, that person is not known to history. What we do know is that the use of roscoe to refer to a handgun dates to the early 20th centuryand is playable in Scrabble.

oofy adjective : rich, wealthy

Oofy isn’t a word to flatter the financially flush among us, which is part of its charm. It’s a product of the late 19th century, having come quick on the heels of its predecessor, ooftish or oof for short; that word means "money," and comes from the Yiddish phrase uf tish, "on (the) table."

Its always a good day when you learn more words you can use for Scrabble!

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Knowledge Enablement

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